Desktop-centric paradigms have been universally accepted over the past couple of decades to provide means for communication and computation to individuals. A workstation is one example of a desktop-centric paradigm. The workstation typically includes input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse and a microphone, computational resources such as a microprocessor and a memory, and output devices such as a display device and speakers. The input devices, computational resources, and output devices of the workstation are located at a fixed point, such as on a desk, for utilization by an individual. Because of the size and weight of a typical desktop workstation, the individual is not likely to carry the workstation with him/her as he/she traverses his/her environment in the course of an average day. Hence, the individual typically returns to the fixed-point location of the workstation in order to utilize its communication and computational resources.
Workstations in the form of portable computers are less restricted in being located at a single fixed point due to their reduced size and weight. However, portable computers only extend the desktop-centric paradigm to a series of fixed points dependent upon placement thereof by the individual. Portable computers are not amenable to be continually carried by the individual as the individual traverses his/her environment during the course of an average day. For example, an individual would find it highly undesirable to lug a portable computer around as he/she walks from each room to each other room at home or at work.
Accordingly, the need exists for an individual-centric paradigm for computation and/or communication as an alternative to the desktop-centric paradigm provided by the workstation. The individual-centric paradigm would provide computation and/or communication at more than a series of fixed points.
Another universally-accepted paradigm is that of communicating information between computers using modulated signals representative of digital data. The modulated signals are formed in accordance with a predetermined modulation scheme for communication either wirelessly or via a wireline, and using either baseband or broadband signals. Typically, these modulated signals are not parsable in the realm of the senses of a human. Broadband electrical signals, for example, are not within the realm of human senses. Telephonic modem signals, which are audible for a human to hear, are not within the realm of parsing by the human.
At the 1994 ISAE Conference, an alternative to the above-described approaches to computer communication was presented. In particular, a semaphore robot was presented which waved boy-scout semaphore flags to display a message entered at a computer keyboard. Another computer located a mile away watched the flags with a camera, digitized the images, and recognized and displayed the message. Although a human is capable of viewing this form of communication, the human must learn the semaphore signaling system in order to parse the message.